Operation Cast Lead (Day Twenty-One)

Israeli Security Cabinet had scheduled a vote tomorrow on Egypt's cease-fire plan. If the plan goes through, fighting would stop for ten days while the IDF forces stay in Gaza and the boarder remained closed. As arrangements were made for others to prevent Hamas from rearming Israeli troops would leave. The phased process of the IDF stopping thier attacks would be dependent on Hamas following suit. This comes as Hamas rejects the terms out of hand. (More at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,480233,00.html, http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/16/israel.gaza/index.html and http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1232100161716&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull.)

Egypt has expressed a willingness to crack down on arms smuggling into Gaza. This is one of Israel's big concerns about a potential truce being just an opportunity for Hamas to rearm before launching another series of rockets. This is all working toward a short term truce to be used to set up a longer term truce. (More at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1055967.html.)

As the conflict with Hamas may be winding down, their are renewed fears that a conflict with Hezbollah could be heating up. Two series of rockets were fired at Israel if not be Hezbollah, then likely with their knowledge and implicit allowance. The other reason is that we are approaching the first anniversary of Mughniyeh’s death (he died on February 13). (More at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5533205.ece.)

Please note that unlike the news stories above, not all the videos are from today. That does not mean that they are not worth watching, which indeed they are. They are also not present anywhere else in this serious of posts, meaning no repeats.

Here is the video from the pictures of anti-Obama demonstrators. It sounds like they are chanting "Die Die Obama" in Iran.

Video embedded below.



In this video you see pro-Hamas supporters attacking police.

Video embedded below.